It's Been a While

I'm still fogging a mirror, but this blog is in a coma. I think it's time to wake it up or pull the plug on it. So, I see that the last time I mentioned knitting was many projects ago. I did finish the Adamas and I love it. And I love the yarn that Alice made me buy. I have enough yarn left to do another shawl or to give to someone else to do another shawl. I haven't decided that I can part with it yet so it's just loitering in my stash.

I've yet to wear this anywhere. It's very light weight and it has been a cold winter. But, things are warming up here in the great state of Texas and this will do nicely as a take along for frigid air conditions buildings

I made all five nieces fingerless mitts for Christmas. They were fun, but after 5 pair on a deadline - I closed the chapter on fingerless mitts for a while. They all seemed to like them.

Then there's the knitting for Elliott Ranch Babies. We've had two new baby girls born in the community and I wanted to knit something for them. I love these booties and bib and they are fun to do. After dong the bib twice and the booties three times, I'm not opposed to knitting them again. Unusual for me since I like to move on to something else since I had to do patterns over and over for business knitting. The booties are a free pattern which also has a hat to match.

My nephew and his wife had a new baby girl in February. Her name is Aliceson. I knitted the booties for her and also a blanket. This is the pattern based on the 5hr baby sweater.

My Grandson, Justin, is about to make his appearance. My DIL is due on March 23. He will join Sarah and Jacob to ....I think make their family complete. Although, you never know with these two. :-) I knitted him an outfit to wear home from the hospital. The sweater is losely based on the Boy 5hr Baby sweater - changed to use DK weight yarn, have buttons, add the letter and taking out the yoke and bottom detail that makes the 5 hr a bit girly.

The hat can be found here. Booties here.

Pants:

Size 3 & 5 knitting needles
1 skein each of Aqua & Lime BabyBoo Yarn

Right Leg & Left Leg: (Work at the same time)
With smaller needles cast on 44 sts with Aqua yarn and Cast on 44 stitches with Lime yarn. Work 6 rows in k1, p1 across both legs.
Change to size 5 needles and work in st st to 3-1/2 inches total length. Inc 1 st at both sides of both legs on alternate rows 3 times. Mark both sides of both legs on last inc row for end of leg seams. Work in st st until 4 inches from markers, ending on wrong side row. Next row: K1, k2tog, *k3, k2tog, rep from * across, ending k2. (40 sts) Purl the next row.
Waistband - Work in k1, p1 ribbing for 3 rows. Next row, k1, *yo (yarn over) k2tog, to last st, k1.
Next 3 rows, work in ribbing. Bind off.

Finishing:
Sew center front and back seams to markers. Sew leg seams.
With Aqua make a crochet chain for 16 inches. Join Lime yarn and crochet chain another 16 inches. Run this chain through the waistband in the eyelet holes with the aqua side on the lime pant leg and draw up and tie.

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Hat Dash

I made two hats for the Grands and they are also Hat Dash entries in Ravelympics. My youngest son who is manager of Michael's called to tell me that he just got Bernat Glow in the Dark yarn in at the store. I went to look and picked up lavender and blue to make hats for Sarah and Jacob (our oldest son's offspring).

Sarah loves her new hat.

Jacob...not so much... He is not nearly as impressed with the hat as Sarah is. I think I can safely say he doesn't like his one bit. :-)

Well he likes it fine when it's not on his head!!! :-)

Ravelympics & Llympics Entry #2

I'm working on the Adamas Shawl for my second entry in WIP Wrestling in Ravelympics and Lone Star Lympics. I've been sitting and watching the Olympics and knitting and knitting and knitting! I know it must be growing, but it just doesn't seem like it's growing that fast lengthwise. I can tell you it's growing as big as the Grand Canyon width wise and it takes forever to get across a row. Here it is stretched across the top back of a recliner. I'm not sure if this will block out t as it is Rayon yarn. It does stretch well so I have hope unless it has bounce back memory and about that I'm not sure. When it's on the needles, it seems very, very short lengthwise. I am enjoying knitting this. I do love the yarn. I just didn't get a lot of insight to it as I bought it on Ebay (Alice made me buy it) and it just came on it's cone without any info on care. Guess I'll have to do some research and Knit on!

Go Team Lonestarstate!

Ravelympics & Llympics FO

Jumped into the Ravelympics craze and it got so confusing to my Gals on Lone Star State Knitters that I decided to start the Llymics on our group. It has worked out well. Some are participating in both areas and some have dropped Rav for LSSK. I have my first FO! The Crowns and Cables Baby blanket. I have the Adamas Shawl to finish now and I'm hoping to get close. Not sure I'll get it finished. I won't be winning any prizes on LSSK and don't need to. Getting this done is prize enough! :-) Our wonderful organizer Beverly (wendydancer) has done an excellent job keeping the events and competitors organized. She has also kept us on top of things on what to do on Ravelry. Thanks, Beverly! Good on 'ya!

Monkey See Monkey Do

Me on the left and Always Alice on the right

Always Alice has a blog so I must have one too. I've had this blog for many months, maybe even a year, but I've never posted to it. I seem to use Lone Star State Knitters as my blog so never felt the need to have a separate one. I guess since Alice has a blog, I must get with it. I don't know how often I'll post to it, but it's here if I feel "wordy".

I finally did something yesterday that I have been wanting to do, but couldn't bring myself to do. My father died in 1992 and when my mother died in 2007, we found the wedding band that she wore when she and Dad first got married and also Dad's wedding band in the saftey deposti box. Mom's ring was so worn and thin it was barely there. Of course she got another very wide band with her "Kentucky Cluster" setting on it and wore that many years. My Dad died of lung cancer so he wasted away. He had put tape on his wedding band so he could wear it. We found that tape still on the ring in the saftey deposit box last year - 15 years later after he died so Mom had placed in there all those years ago. I have had his ring in a little bag in my armoire for almost a year. I take it out and look at it and slip it on my index finger or thumb and then contemplate taking off that tape. I could never make myself do it and it would always go back in the bag. Yesterday was a strange day for me and both my parents seemed to be in everything I saw or touched. I got out the ring. I got out the scissors. I sat for at least an hour and moved between knitting and picking up the scissors and the ring. I slipped in on my finger and something said, "It's time". What good is it in a drawer? I cut the tape.

I've had the ring on ever since and as hokey as it sounds it makes me feel both my parents so much when I'm wearing their wedding rings. Memories are flashing. David (hubs) and I are talking about times we haven't mentioned in years. It's a good thing.

HAPPY EASTER, Y'ALL!